The Government of India has launched a pioneering initiative to cover Article Processing Charges (APCs) for publishing in top-tier open-access journals, providing no APC for Indian researchers, faculty, and students across Indian Higher Education Institutions and R&D organizations. This move, under the One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) scheme, aims to remove financial barriers and empower scholars to share their work in globally recognized journals.
What Is ONOS APC Support? No APC for Indian Researchers is True?
The ONOS scheme, approved and implemented from January 2025, offers central funding for APCs of selected high-quality open-access journals. Eligible journals are those in the top 1% by CiteScore, SNIP, or SJR according to SCOPUS, including fully open access titles from ONOS’s 30 participating publishers—plus others meeting these standards.
Who Can Apply?
Regular faculty, students, researchers, and principal investigators affiliated with government higher education or R&D institutions registered on the ONOS portal may apply for APC support. The first author or corresponding author must submit documentary proof of acceptance and a declaration confirming their significant contribution to the manuscript. Applications must be authenticated by the institution’s head and the ONOS nodal officer.
The Application Workflow
Eligible researchers follow these steps to secure APC payment:
Key Features and Benefits
- Expands India’s research visibility by enabling more open-access publications in top journals, often unaffordable due to high APCs.
- Ensures fair access for all participating institutes, regardless of funding levels.
- Institutions and authors can focus on advancing research rather than managing publication expenses.
Special Agreements
A notable highlight is ONOS’s Read-and-Publish agreement with ACM (Association for Computing Machinery). It allows authors from over 6,500 government-funded Indian institutions to publish unlimited open-access articles in ACM journals at no APC cost.
Important Guidelines
- Only papers accepted in ONOS approved journals and published by registered ONOS members are eligible.
- Articles must not claim APC charges from other funding agencies or projects.
- The scheme operates on a first-come, first-served basis—annual limits may apply to prevent concentration of benefits among few authors/institutes.
- Authors must confirm publication and may be required to reimburse the payment in case of retraction or duplicate claims.
For other details, the step-by-step procedure, and official forms, please refer to the ONOS APC Support portal and guidelines:
This government backed program marks a transformative step for Indian research, helping scholars publish in the best open-access journals and share their innovations with the world—without worrying about financial hurdles.
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